For the members of the Hermanos Banuelos Charro Team, dressing up like a cowboy is part of their heritage.

Heriberto Banuelos, one of the co-founders, learned it from his father, who picked it up from his. The men of the Charro team perform rope and horse tricks, from dancing and prancing steeds to spinning lassos.

“It’s the sport of your grandfather, and your father and your family,” Banuelos said. “You pretty much inherit it.”

For the eighth year, the Altadena-based Hermanos Banuelos will ride down Colorado Boulevard as part of the Rose Parade, after winning their first spot in 2006.

“It was pouring in Pasadena,” said Ramon Banuelos. “That was our first parade.”

It stuck though. For Ramon, the cheering crowds and looks on people’s faces trumped any negatives.

Ramon Banuelos, 47, a real estate agent by day, started his hobby as a Charro in 1995. The group performs at competitions, schools, fundraisers and even at Walt Disney Concert Hall. It’s also a staple at some of the area’s well-known parades.

Ramon grew up watching Gene Autry Westerns, dreaming of being a cowboy. When others had football or basketball ambitions, he pictured a Charro.

“We’re all very proud of our culture and our heritage, so when we’re able to show it — we’re there,” he said.

The team got its start on the amateur rodeo circuit, with Ramon helping out as more of an assistant. To help out a volunteer group in Altadena, Ramon brought his horse. The sound of applause as he performed felt great and soon the rest of the team found an interest in such performances, he said.

“That’s where I have fun, that’s what I like to do,” he said.

Hermanos Banuelos is made up of 11 volunteers, all men, ranging from 23 to 61 years old. The oldest member joined this year to accomplish his dream of riding in the Rose Parade.

During their shows, the team dons matching custom-made outfits proudly displaying their culture.

Most began riding at a young age. Heriberto Banuelos started at 15, but he considers it a late start.

A first-generation American, he calls it an honor to bring this tradition of Mexico to the world-famous Rose Parade.

“It’s probably the No. 1 event we look forward to as a team,” he said.

Heriberto and his horse perform tricks, like dancing or lying down.

It’s not an easy process. The team members practice year-round, keeping their horses well groomed and trained. It can take as much as five years to prepare a horse for a parade of this size, from teaching them to accept a rider to training them to perform the tricks and to become comfortable around large crowds, he said.

“It’s an honor to be there,” he said of the Rose Parade. “Hopefully we continue to be able to participate for another 20-plus years.”

Those who can’t wait for the Rose Parade can catch Hermanos Banuelos on Dec. 29 at Equestfest at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank.

Jason Henry is a staff reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Pasadena Star-News. He covers Pasadena, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech and the City of Industry. Raised in Ohio, Jason began his career at a suburban daily near Cleveland before moving to California in 2013. He is a self-identified technophile, data nerd and a wannabe drone pilot. The 2011 graduate of Bowling Green State University likes to shock his city friends by sharing his hometown's population.

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